The overall objective of the project is to understand the metabolism and control of metabolism of fatty acids at the molecular level. Studies of the mechanism of fatty acid biosynthesis, its alteration and regulation will be pursued in animal and microbial systems. The fatty acid synthetases from animal tissues and yeast will be prepared and their properties will be studied. The various component activities of the synthetase will be isolated after controlled proteolysis of the native enzymes. The structural relationship of these enzymes and their function in the overall synthesis of palmitate will be investigated. The synthesis of the fatty acid synthetase is under active investigation. The mRNA coding from the synthetase subunit will be isolated and its properties, including its translation by cell free ribosomes, will be determined. The cDNA will be prepared and cloned in an appropriate host cell. The nucleotide sequence of the cDNA will be determined and compared to amino acid sequences derived from sequence studies of the synthetase and its component proteins.